The present invention pertains generally to electrically conducting polymers and in particular to a conducting, aromatic, conjugated polymer system.
Electrically conductive polymers offer many precessing advantages over metals. Unfortunately, few polymers are conductive. In order to impart a degree of conductivity to polymers, a conductive filler, e.g. copper or silver powder or conductive carbon, is usually added to a polymer, but loaded polymers have numerous problems. Only a low loading and therefore a small degree of conductivity is possible without seriously affecting the properties of the polymer. In terms of thermal stability, the present polymers cannot function at temperatures much above 200.degree. C. The few polymers which can be used in the 200.degree.-300.degree. C. range for at least short periods of time have very complex curing characteristics and are difficult to process.
Presently, the most promising polymer which is conductive without a loading of metal powder is the dianilphthalonitrile polymers disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,945 issued to James R. Griffith and Jacque O'Rear on Sept. 26, 1978. The disadvantages of this polymer are hydrolytic instability of the uncured resin and a relatively high, initial processing temperature, i.e., the temperature at which polymerization begins.